Communion-service.



No. 678,699. Patented ma as, l90l.

' .J. a. mums.

COMMUNION SERVICE.

' [Application filed Apr. 9, 1900.). W '2, Sheets-Sheet L.

5 WU awtoz Jamammma.

No. 678,699. Patented luly 16, I905.

' a. mums.

commumou SERVICE.

(A ucafion filed Apr. 9. 190p. H (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T10 ll awvgnto'c @Xhhwmw Jamar. J.

flttomwa; 8

UNTTen dTaTns PATENT @rrrcn.

JOHN G. THOMAS, OF LIMA, OHIO.

COMMUNlON SERVlC-E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,699, dated July 16, 1901.

Serial Na 12,194. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Communion-Services, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in individual communion-services; and it has for its object to provide in a service of this character an improved form of tray for the cups, which embodies in its structure means whereby the cups after being emptied may be readily arranged in the tray, but separated from the filled cups, thereby obviating the necessity for employing receptacles attached to the pews, in which to place the emptied cups and also preventing a subsequent gathering of the emptied cups.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filler for the cups by means of which the latter may be readily and expeditiously filled.

Vith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consists, substantially, in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a communion-service embodying the herein-described invention, the trayand filler being separated to more clearly disclose their constructions. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the tray. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale, the tray and filler being connected as when the tray is being filled. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the filler, illustrating the wine-receptacle in its normal position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a tray designed for carrying a series of cups, and 2 a device for filling the latter. The tray 1 comprises a tray proper, 3, which is preferablycircular in form, and arranged above said tray proper is a supportin g-plate a, which plate is provided with openings 5, designed for receiving a series of inindividual communion-cups 6. As will be observed from Fig. 2, the openings 5 are arranged in three concentric series and preferably number forty-four, this being for convenience in the filling of the cups 6 when placed in said openings; but it will also be observed that a circular series of openings 7 is arranged outside of the openings 5, which openings 7 are of greater diameter than the openings 5. The openings 7 are designed to receive the cups 6 after the latter have been emptied, and to this end said openings are made of greater diameter than the openings 5, by reason of which the cups 6 when emptied may be readily nested in said openings, and thus overcome the necessity of employing separate racks upon the pews for receiving the emptied cups. A series of muiilingstrips 8 is also arranged between the openings 7, one of said strips being wrapped around and suitably secured to that portion of the plate 5 lyingimmediatcly between two of said openings, and said strips are designed to prevent noise incident to the replacing of the cups 6 after the latter have been used by the com municants.

The plate 4 is supported upon and secured to the tray proper, 3, by standards or uprights 9.

To provide for the expeditious filling of the cups 6 when the latter have been placed in all the openings 5, the device shown at 2 is provided, and said filler comprises a base 10, which is provided at its front edge with a curved recess 11, whereby the tray 1 is adapted to snugly fit against said base, and thereby properly position the cups in relation to the filler. The tray when in the position referred to may be securely held by means of a springcatch 12, carried by the base 10, said catch being of any suitable construction adapted to engage the trayproper, A pair of standards 13 is also carried by the base 10, the upper end of each of said standards beingcurved forwardly and terminatingin bearing-eyes 14, and between the standards 13 an elongated wine-receptacle 15 is journaled, said receptacle comprising a trough-like body 15, having the upper edges of its ends inclined forwardly and downwardly. Each of said ends is provided with an outwardly-projecting trunnion 16, which trunnions fit and work within the eyes let, thereby journaling the receptacle 15 in said. eyes. It will be noted that the points at which the trunnions 16 are placed are such that the bottom of the receptacle l5 normally inclines at an angle of approximately from forty-five to fifty degrees, as shown in Fig. 4:, and thus said receptacle always remains, except when tilted as hereinafter described, in such position that the wine cannot escape therefrom. To provide, however, for the delivery of the wine to the cups 6, the receptacle 15 is provided with a series of forwardlyextending discharge-conduits 17, each of which is semicircular in cross-section, and said conduits are arranged, when the number thereof will permit, in sets of three, the conduits of each set being uniformly shortened in length throughout the set. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable each conduit to discharge into a separate cup, but at the same time conform to the concentric arrangement of the cups as placed in the tray 1.

The bearing-eyes 1.4 are each provided with a pair of spaced lugs 18, between which lugs a stud 19, carried by the adjacent'end of the receptacle 15, is adapted to work, and said studs are adapted to contact with said lugs for limiting the tilting movement of the receptacle 15.

The manner of using the hereindescribed service is as follows: To fill the cups 6, the tray 1 is filled with the latter, and when so filled said tray is positioned in the relation to the filling device 2 shown in Fig. 3. The latter, however, being normally in the position disclosed in Fig. 4, the body of the receptacle 15 is filled with wine to a predetermined extent, whereupon the cups in the tray may also be filled by simply tilting said receptacle so that the conduits 17 move downwardly and into their respective cups. In this position the wine readily discharges, after which the receptacle 15 is allowed to resume its normal position in order to re-' ceive a new supply of the wine. With the usual construction of the service the discharge-conduits 17 number exactly one-half the number of cups which the tray 2 is adapted to carry, and it will therefore be seen that two fillings are required for each tray of cups. This is accomplished by simply filling onehalf of the cups at one time and then after charging the receptacle 15 with a new supply of the Wine and rotating the tray one-half of a revolution in order to position the empty cups adjacent to the discharge-conduits filling the remainder. When the entire number of cups has been filled, which is preferably done previous to the celebration of the Lords Supper,the trays may be passed by the proper officials to the communicants, who as they empty their cups replace the latter in the openings 7, in which openings the cups may be nested, as hereinbefore indicated, and thus the necessity for asubsequent gathering of the cups is entirely obviated. This is an important feature, and great stress is laid thereon.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a communion-service, the combination of the tray having holding means for the cups, a base provided at one edge with a reentrant curved seat to receive an edge of the tray, a tiltable filling device supported above the base and overhanging the said curved seat, and a retaining device for holding said tray in said seat and permitting the rotation thereof for filling purposes.

2. In a communion-service, the combination with a tray comprising a tray proper, and a supporting-plate carried thereby, said plate being provided with a series of openings for receiving a plurality of cups, of a device for filling said cups, said filling device comprising a pivoted trough-like receptacle, and a series of discharge-conduits carried thereby, and means for holding said filling device and the tray together.

3. In a communion-service, the combination with cup-holding means, of a filler comprisinga tiltable trough-like receptacle whose bottom is formed in its upper side with a plurality of open grooves constituting deliveryconduits for the liquid.

4. In a communion-service, the combination of cup-holding means, of a filler comprising a pivotal trough having its bottom formed with a plurality of delivery-conduits.

5. In a communion-service, the combination with cup-holding means, of a filler comprising a pivotal trough-like receptacle whose bottom is formed of a plurality of deliveryconduits, said conduits being grouped in sets of varying length.

6. In a communion-service, a filler for the cups thereof, comprising a trough-like receptacle, standards to which said receptacle is pivoted, deliveryconduits carried by said trough and each adapted to discharge into a separate cup, and means for limiting the movement of the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. THOMAS.

"Witnesses:

R. O. EASTMAN, W. IL'HAY. 

